Home > Lawn & Garden > Commercial Horticulture > Citrus and Freezing Temperatures The cold weather we typically receive now through January can cause problems for home and commercial citrus in our area. It is important to know the critical temperatures and the factors affecting them. Raking Pine Straw [Image: Old dump-style rake] Pine straw makes an excellent mulch and is much in demand for landscaping. If you own some land with pine trees, you can easily rake your own pine straw. Landscape Mulch Demonstration Study [Image: colored red mulch] A demonstration of different landscape mulch materials is on-going at the Hammond Research Station. Here are photos of the different mulches currently being evaluated. More to come!!! Sources for Chippers/Shredders/Grinders Here is a list of manufacturers of chippers, shredders and grinders. It does not constitute a recommendation of any of the companies or products.  more articles... Trenching and Ditching [Image: hiller-furrower attachment for tiller] Depending on the type of ditch or trench you need and the size of the job, you have many choices of available tools. All of the do-it-yourself methods involve hard work, but some are not as hard as others. Coleus Landscape Trials for 2008 - The Top Performers [Image: red hot rio] Forty three coleus varieties were trialed in landscape evaluation plots at the Hammond Research Station in 2008. Top performers were Red Hot Rio, Big Red Judy, Zen Moment, Lancelot, Ruby Ruffles, Mariposa, Henna, Indian Summer (not pictured), Royal Glissade, Pineapple Splash and Fishnet Stockings. Here is a photo gallery. Results are based on plant vigor, foliage attractiveness, and resistance to flowering. Plants were grown in full sun. Garden Seeders [Image: garden seeder] If you grow a vegetable garden, you probably get tired of bending over placing seeds in a furrow. Perhaps you are also tired of making the planting furrow and then covering it over and tamping. If so, you might be interested in one of the garden seeders on the market. An Easy Way to Care For Your Garden Tools [Image: cleaning a spade in oil and sand] Garden tools will last longer if we take good care of them, but it can be a real bother to do so. A simple trick will make it much easier for you to keep your shovels, hoes, trowels, etc. clean and protected. Safety With Electric Tools [Image: GFCI outlet] Electric tools eliminate the fire hazards associated with gasoline, but introduce the hazard of electric shock or electrocution. There are some steps you can take to improve the safety of electric tools. Plans to Build Your Own Hydraulic Lift Boom [Image: Hydraulic lift boom] Plans are provided to allow you to build a hydraulic lift boom to mount on a category II or category III-N 3-point hitch. Sources for Nonpowered Backpack and Hand-pump Sprayers This article contains links to sources for nonpowered backpack and hand-pump sprayers. It does not constitute a recommendation of any of the companies or products. Dirt Scoop for Compact Tractors [Image: Dirt scoop for tractor] A dirt scoop is a handy attachment for small tractors. It will allow you to dig, move, and dump small quantities of soil, gravel, sand, or other materials much easier than you can do with a shovel and wheelbarrow and much less expensively than with a front-end loader on your tractor. Ants of Louisiana [Image: Little Black Ant] Links to some of the numerous ants of Louisiana discussing identification, biology and treatment. Air Filters for Small Engines [Image: primary filter] One of the most important things you can do to maintain your small engines is to service the air filters as needed. More...